FORMAT NUMBER PLATES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-SWANSEA UK New Number Plate Regulations Number plate supply regulations Until now it's been too easy for thieves to give a stolen vehicle a new identity – simply buy a new set of number plates. From the beginning of January 2003 it's going to get more difficult for the thieves and possibly a bit less convenient for you. Number plate suppliers From 1 January 2003 all number plate suppliers in England and Wales will have to be registered with DVLA and will have to keep records of all number plate sales. If you want to buy a new plate for a trailer or caravan or to replace a broken one on your car you will have to show the registered supplier documents to prove both who you are and also that you have entitlement to the registration mark.

Various documents will be accepted including For proof of entitlement to the vehicle registration mark: V5 registration document V11 licence renewal application form copy of hire/lease contract company letter on headed paper, including VAT number or VE103 (vehicle on hire certificate) proof of Cherished Transfer A current photocard driving licence Utility bill and current paper driving licence Utility bill and passport Utility bill and credit/debit card with photograph Utility bill and travel pass card with photograph Utility bill and foreign national identity card We are on the DVLA register of number plate suppliers New Style Number plates- Sept 2001 format and rules The latest number plate format has affected all new cars from 1 September 2001. The design improves on the durability of previous plates and has a new system for displaying the age and origin of a vehicle. There are three parts to the new format: Local Memory Tag - The first two letters, called the 'local memory tag' or area identifier, show where the vehicle was registered. The first represents the region and the second a DVLA local office. Random Letters - The last three letters are random and give a unique identity to the vehicle. Age Identifier - The two numbers indicate the age of the vehicle.

The age identifier will continue to be changed in March and September as at present but will use numbers rather than letters. The first digit indicates March (0 rising to 4) or September (5 rising to 9) and the second digit indicates the year. For example a car with an age identifier of 58 will have been first registered between 01 September 2008 and 28 February 2009. Rules All new number plates must display the new mandatory font.Even the size and typeface of the numbers and letters has changed and the spacing and margins have been standardised.This is to ensure consistency, and to make them easier to read and remember, both for humans and traffic cameras! Existing number plates need not be changed provided the font used is substantially the same as the new mandatory font.Cars made before 1973 will be allowed to keep their original plates - i.e. white text on black backgrounds. Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with stylised letters and figures such as italics or with number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters or numbers.

Failure to replace such number plates may result in keepers risking prosecution There will be an optional provision for the display of the Euro-plate within the UK. The Euro-plate incorporates the symbol of the European Union (circle of 12 stars on a blue background) with the national identification letters of the member state below. This symbol is located on the left-hand side of the number plate Vehicles with a Euro-plate will no longer have to use the traditional oval shaped national identifier (GB) sticker when travelling within the EU. What the law says about the display of registration marks The new British Standard and the Vehicle (Crime) Bill, is very specific about what is allowed and what is not. All new number plates must conform to the following specifications: Characters/ Size Other typefaces. Bold or italic script. Fixing bolts deliberately position to alter the appearance of numbers or letters - i.e. changing "11" to "H" etc. Positioning letters outside of the new margin and spacing rules. Compulsory: Only one standard typeface will be legal - the Charles Wright Font. Buyers of replacement plates will have to produce documentation proving they own the vehicle they are purchasing plates for.

The number plate of the seller must be marked with the name and postcode of the seller. From 1 September any new number plates must carry the British Standard number: BS AU 145D. Number plates must carry the name and identification of the number plate manufacturer. Understanding the letters at the start of the new number plates The 'local memory tag' has two letters at the start of the plate.

The first indicates the region in which the car was registered and the second refers to a local DVLA office: Letter /Region/ Local Office/ DVLA Local Office identifier A Anglia Peterborough A AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AJ AK AL AM AN Norwich AO AP AR AS AT AU Ipswich AV AW AX AY B Birmingham Birmingham BA - BY C Cymru Cardiff CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CK CL CM CN CO Swansea CP CR CS CT CU CV Bangor CW CX CY D Deeside to Shrewsbury Chester DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK Shrewsbury DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY E Essex Chelmsford EA - EY F Forest & Fens Nottingham FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FP Lincoln FR FS FT FV FW FX FY G Garden of England Maidstone GA GB BC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO Brighton GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY H Hampshire & Dorset Bournemouth HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ Portsmouth HK HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY (HW will be used exclusively for Isle

 of Wight residents) K Luton KA KB KC KD KE KF KG KH KJ KK KL Northampton KM KN KO KP KR KS KT KU KV KW KX KY L London Wimbledon LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ Stanmore LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT Sidcup LU LV LW LX LY M Manchester MA -MY N North Newcastle NA NB NC ND NE NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO Stockton NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY O Oxford Oxford OA - OY P Preston Preston PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT Carlisle PU PV PW PX PY R Reading Reading RA - RY S Scotland Glasgow SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ Edinburgh SK SL SM SN SO Dundee SP SR SS ST Aberdeen SU SV SW Severn Valley Worcester VA - VY W West of England Exeter WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ Truro WK WL Bristol WM WN WO WP WR WS WT WU WV WW WX WY Y Yorkshire Leeds YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK Sheffield YL YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU Beverley Y

V YW YX YY Understanding the numbers in the middle of the new number plates The 'age identifier' changes to reflect whether the car was new in March or September and to show the year of registration.

If the first number is a 0,1,2,3 or 4 the car was first registered between March and August. If it starts with a 5,6,7,8 or 9 then the car was first registered between September and February. September 2001 to February 2002 51 March 2002 to August 2002 02 September 2002 to February 2003 52 March 2003 to August 2003 03 September 2003 to February 2004 53 March 2004 to August 2004 04 September 2004 to February 2005 54 March 2005 to August 2005 05 September 2005 to February 2006 55 March 2006 to August 2006 06 September 2006 to February 2007 56 And so on until 2049 Number plate history The earliest registration marks were made up of one letter and one number.

London County Council issued the first plate, A1, in 1903. Later formats consisted of two letters and four numbers, with the series being replaced as and when numbers were exhausted. The Liverpool 'KA' series lasted only two years between 1925 and 1927 whilst the SJ series was still being issued by Bute Council in 1963. A new three letter/three number series was introduced from the mid-1930s by which time the two letter/four number series were exhausted in some areas. AAA1 was issued in Hampshire in 1934 through to AAA 999. The BAA series began in 1936. By the mid-1950s all marks with numbers following letters had been allocated so marks were reversed with letters following numbers. In this way the maximum number of symbols in an individual registration mark never exceeded six. Issue of 'Suffix' marks with three letters, three numbers and a year suffix began between 1963 and 1965. The registration year ran from 1 January to 31 December until 1967 when the suffix change was moved to 1 August.

Reflective number plates, black on white to the front and black on yellow to the rear, were introduced from January 1973. The registering and licensing of new cars was centralised in 1974 with the establishment of the DVLC, now DVLA in Swansea. 'Q plates' were introduced in 1983 and are issued to kit cars and some imports where the date of first registration can't be established. Issue of 'prefix' marks with a year prefix followed by three numbers and three letters began in 1983. The prefix continued to change on 1August until 1999 when two plate changes a year, on 1 March and 1 September were introduced. The prefix series ended with 'Y' which ran until 31 August 2001.

How the Age of a Vehicle is shown by it's number plate Old Suffix letters-(where the letter comes at the end of the number plate) 1 January 1963 to 31 December 1963 A 1 January 1964 to 31 December 1964 B 1 January 1965 to 31 December 1965 C 1 January 1966 to 31 December 1966 D 1 January 1967 to 31 July 1967 E 1 August 1967 to 31 July 1968 F 1 August 1968 to 31 July 1969 G 1 August 1969 to 31 July 1970 H 1 August 1970 to 31 July 1971 J 1 August 1971 to 31 July 1972 K 1 August 1972 to 31 July 1973 L 1 August 1973 to 31 July 197

4 M 1 August 1974 to 31 July 1975 N 1 August 1975 to 31 July 1976 P 1 August 1976 to 31 July 1977 R 1 August 1977 to 31 July 1978 S 1 August 1978 to 31 July 1979 T 1 August 1979 to 31 July 1980 V 1 August 1980 to 31 July 1981 W 1 August 1981 to 31 July 1982 X 1 August 1982 to 31 July 1983 Y Old prefix letters (-where the letter comes at the start of the number plate) A 1 August 1983 to 31 July 1984 B 1 August 1984 to 31 July 1985 C 1 August 1985 to 31 July 1986 D 1 August 1986 to

 31 July 1987 E 1 August 1987 to 31 July 1988 F 1 August 1988 to 31 July 1989 G 1 August 1989 to 31 July 1990 H 1 August 1990 to 31 July 1991 J 1 August 1991 to 31 July 1992 K 1 August 1992 to 31 July 1993 L 1 August 1993 to 31 July 1994 M 1 August 1994 to 31 July 1995 N 1 August 1995 to 31 July 1996 P 1 August 1996 to 31 July 1997 R 1 August 1997 to 31 July 1998 S 1 August 1998 to 28 February 1999 T 1 March 1999 to 31 August 1999

 V 1 September 1999 to 29 February 2000 W 1 March 2000 to 31 August 2000 X 1 September 2000 to 28 February 2001 Y 1 March 2001 to 31 August 2001 How a Personal Number Plate is valued There are a range of factors that make some cherished plates worth more than others.

What are the most expensive plates? Popular names will be worth more, as there is more demand for them. D4 NNN (Dan) is worth around £3000. Complete words or names are more desirable. JOS 11A (Josh, Joshua) is worth around £11500. All number plates are unique, but the rarer in style, the higher the value. A memorable number plate is a valuable one. 2 P is worth around £44500 Plates with the number one as the second digit command high prices. C1 AAA is worth £2500 J and S are the most sought after prefixes and command higher values. How do dealers determine the exact price of a plate? They form some of their prices by watching the DVLA cherished plate auctions. This tells them how much the market is prepared to pay for a certain type of plate. They also compare plates for sale with similar plates that were recently sold and base their valuation on that. Uniqueness, desirability and popularity are all taken into account.

VRM Swansea coordinates the entire transfer of your personalised registration with DVLA* Swansea and local DVLA* Local Offices in the United Kingdom & Northern Ireland when you opt for our Full Transfer or Sale Service. Our expert team will provide you with instruction and telephone support if you choose our less expensive DIY Transfer Service. An online 'Purchase Offer' supported by suitable payment card takes priority over any other enquiry. VRM Swansea sell number plates owned by clients, government stock and our own stock on a 'first come, first served basis'. All registrations offered for sale are subject to availability and payment is taken only once availability and price are confirmed**. Our systems record telephone conversations and the date and time of all communication. We shall debit your payment card if your offer is accepted and provide confirmation either way**. Under the distance selling regulations we must inform you that our service begins immediately upon payment being taken, that no cooling off period or refunds are given and you will not be able to change your mind. Your instructions will be acted upon immediately and the assignment /transfer process started to ensure your choice is not sold by us to anyone else. This is a Government process which the Government will not cancel or change once they receive our instructions.

Please be absolutely sure about your selected number plate before placing your order. **In the case of pre-release new-issue offers we will take payment prior to the registration mark series release date in order to confirm your desire to proceed and ensure we do not offer the registration mark you have chosen to anyone else.If for any reason your offer is not accepted by the Secretary of State for Transport on the release date, then you will receive a full refund by the payment method you have used to make your offer. The Secretary of State's decision to accept or reject your offer is final and we cannot be held responsible for it, in any way. If your offer is rejected then you may choose another registration subject to sufficient funds being pre-lodged with us. Personal and personalised registrations shown within are subject to transfer fees,vat. & availability WHY WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TELL MY FRIENDS? A. To keep prices sensible and affordable for all B. To help find valuable registration marks and unlock their values for their owners. C. Because its fun trying to spell words names and phrases from number plates. D. Because if the people you tell do business with us we will be sending you a cheque for ï¿½10 to say 'THANK YOU' A.

TO KEEP PRICES SENSIBLE & AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE: You may have seen many registration marks advertised at SILLY PRICES. Advertising is our firm's biggest single expense. A full page advertisement in a daily paper showing hundreds of registration marks you CAN BARELY READ costs approximately ï¿½6000 plus VAT, a one-day advert for a single larger-print registration in a Sunday Paper costs ï¿½70 plus VAT. These costs INFLATE the price paid by our buyers and REDUCE the sale proceeds for our sellers. If you can tell your family and friends about us these advertising costs will come down and we can pass the savings on to YOU, our clients. We can then REDUCE the selling prices to the buyers and INCREASE the sale proceeds for the sellers. B. TO HELP FIND REGISTRATION MARKS AND UNLOCK THEIR VALUE FOR THEIR OWNERS Clients contact us every day with particular registration marks they are searching for. They are prepared to pay realistic prices and the only way we can find the mark is if the owner of the registration contacts us and offers it for sale. WE ARE CONSTANTLY ASTOUNDED by the search requests we receive.

In many cases they are not obviously valuable registrations to anyone other than the potential buyer. They may be the registration mark on the client's first ever car or motorbike for example and so have purely sentimental value, or they might be a very unusual Asian name which could have a considerable value. Since we started trading over 10 years ago we have literally THOUSANDS of clients waiting for their dream registration to 'POP UP' ( Right now our WANTED PAGE only gives a few examples because our engineers are working to display these thousands of FREE requests in an automated database.) EVERY REGISTRATION MARK ON EVERY VEHICLE, BE IT A CAR, LORRY, MOTORBIKE OR VAN IS POTENTIALLY VALUABLE TO SOMEONE ELSE! We see many vehicles displaying desirable registration marks but THEIR OWNER'S DON'T KNOW IT because they came with the car FOR FREE! You could do your FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS, MUMS, DADS, AUNTIES AND UNCLES a great favour by just asking them to contact us with their registration marks. We will do the rest and its a COMPLETELY FREE SERVICE. C.

BECAUSE ITS FUN TRYING TO SPELL WORDS, NAMES AND PHRASES OUT OF REGISTRATION MARKS 'AUTONUMEROLOGY' as its called in the trade is a fascinating subject. It can help people stand out in the crowd and promote their hobbies, businesses, affection for one another and success. Kids on long road journeys love to play games with number plates and are often the first to spot the meanings behind registration marks as they spell out words phonetically. This website is designed to teach you all how to do this and we hope it may brighten up a dull journey. D. BECAUSE IF THE PERSON YOU TELL BUYS OR SELLS A REGISTRATION MARK WE WILL BE SENDING YOU A CHEQUE FOR ï¿½10 TO SAY THANK YOU (We couldn't afford to send everyone in your referring group ï¿½10 so only the person who is directly linked to the buyer or seller will receive the Thank You cheque. Just click on the blue links around our site and enter your details, IT'S THAT SIMPLE!) INTERNET TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POTENTIAL, TO LOWER COSTS TO EVERYONE'S BENEFIT BUT.... WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

WHY DISPLAY A PERSONAL REGISTRATION MARK? Please read the feedback from some of our clients:- PERSONAL IDENTITY 'I work in a high profile business where success matters. My new registration gets me noticed and shows I'm serious about my business' 'Golf is my favourite pastime so I purchased a mark with the suffix TEE' 'My dogs are my life so the registration mark 'K9' with my initials after it was a MUST HAVE!' AS A GIFT FOR A LOVED ONE 'My husband has always wanted his initials or name on the car so just before he retired I was able to purchase a registration mark for him and keep it secretly on a certificate. On his retirement day I gave him the new numbers plates you had sent to my neighbours' address and sent you the appropriate documents. The transfer was completed in days and that is one gift he is never likely to forget, he was absolutely delighted !' BUSINESS IDENTITY 'As a haulage contractor we run a fleet of company-branded vehicles, it just made sense that our number plates should match our business initials.

Our accountant is confident that the costs are tax deductible as a business expense, as it is part of the vehicle livery.' 'Although our fleet of buses is ageing they are all well maintained. Our new registrations make it difficult for our clients to put an age on our vehicles and their confidence is retained' 'I'm proud of my new taxi and my new registration definitely makes my black cab stand out from the crowd. It shows I'm not short of a sense of humour too !' INVESTMENT 'I always thought that a number plate with my name (JOY) would cost me thousands, so even though I don't have a T- registered car I still bought one with a T prefix for just under £500. I'm keeping it on a certificate until I get a car of the right age. It won't be too long before this happens because car prices seem to be coming down at last! Anyway I realize that registration numbers that spell names will always be in demand so I'm confident I could always sell it at a later date.' 'Our son Daniel is only twelve years old but mad about cars already! We've bought him a DAN personal number plate and will keep it secretly on a holding certificate until his 18th Birthday.

We know these number plates have increased in value over the past 10 years so thought it best to buy one now whilst they are still affordable'. HOW DO I SEARCH FOR MY DREAM REGISTRATION? CALL US ON 01792 477 316 OR COMPLETE THE ON-LINE SEARCH FORM We can supply almost any 3 letter combination registration at affordable prices. Two and one letter registrations are considerably more expensive as they are rarer and even more distinctive. The marks offered for sale change by the minute with new marks coming onto the market and being sold almost continuously. There are approximately 24 MILLION choices available at any one time which we can supply. We can act for you if you see your dream registration for sale advertised anywhere else and regularly save our clients time, money and unnecessary distress in negotiations and transfers. NOTES FOR COMPLETING THE ON-LINE FORM This is a completely FREE and confidential service except for your Internet connection call to us. We will not disclose your details to any third parties without your express permission.

Unfortunately although your enquiry may be serious we will only treat it as such if we receive these minimum details:- Your name, your telephone number and your budget fields are obligatory and must be completed in order to continue. Your budget limit Prices of registrations vary considerably from a couple of hundred pounds to tens of thousands. Added to this price the buyer is expected to pay the fees of the transfer and VAT (if applicable). Currently the cost of a transfer is £80 or £105 depending on individual circumstances, which represent government administration fees. Please insert your maximum limit excluding such fees. Increasing your limit increases your number of choices and vice-versa. It is unlikely that there will be ANY registrations offered for sale at under £100. For this reason our computer will not accept a figure below this amount. This means that the minimum price you might pay including transfer fees is £180 plus VAT (if applicable). Registration mark(s) on existing vehicles: We need to know these so that we can determine whether or not a transfer is allowable to a vehicle that you are the keeper of. Transfers are not always allowed especially if your vehicle carries a 'Q' registration prefix or is older than the year of issue of the mark in question.

Date of First Registration(s) We need to know these as you are not allowed by law to make a vehicle appear younger than it actually is (UK or Northern Ireland). The details can be found on your V55 Registration Document (UK) or Vehicle Registration Book V5 (NI). No existing vehicle Please note that anybody, even a non-UK resident may own the rights to use or transfer a registration mark whether or not they own a vehicle. Your searches There are 6 boxes which you can complete with the registrations you are searching for. You may make as many searches as you wish by using the form again. Clues & Notes for us This information is vital in our search and reply process. Here you may tell us of your reasons for picking the registrations you have. For example you may be trying to: 1. Spell a word e.g. a name 2. Associate the registration with a hobby or interest e.g. Golf, Football, Dogs, Cars, your job etc. 3. Find a gift for a surprise so you may ask us only to contact you at work and never at home. 4. Use a language other than English that we may be unfamiliar with e.g. Asian names 5.

Get your initials or a combination of family initials that may be searched for in different orders e.g. Pat & Robert (Bob) Smith could be PBS or BPS, PRS or RPS. 6. Promote your business - give us an idea of your business name and what your business does with key words and phrases if possible e.g. ABC STOCKBROKERS, buying and selling of shares unit trusts etc. keywords: BULL BEAR STOCK GILT BUY SELL etc. 7. Hide the age of your vehicle. There are many registrations that can do this for you. The least expensive originate in Northern Ireland (NI) and can be transferred to UK mainland vehicles. NI marks contain the letters I and Z whereas UK mainland marks do not* (the letter Q is not available on any transferable registration mark) The letter Z is now available in the latest UK Mainland series issues from September 2001(see our Homepage). The Limitations Each registration mark issued is absolutely UNIQUE. That means only one may (or may not) have ever been issued of each possible combination. In addition, many older marks may have not survived the test of time, ending up on a scrapped vehicle to be lost forever.

A number or mark can only be transferred if it exists on a testable vehicle, or is held (retained) on an official government certificate; and its transfer is allowed under Ministry of Transport regulations. You can have a maximum combination of up to 7 digits. The majority of MAINLAND UK registration marks contain 4 letters and 3 numbers e.g. A123 ABC, ABC 123A, or the new issue format of 5 letters and 2 numbers AA51 AAA. NORTHERN IRELAND (NI) registration marks normally follow the format e.g. ANZ 1234. Registrations with fewer letters and numbers exist. Due to the facts that they are rarer and more distinctive they command higher values in the marketplace. IN EVERY CASE a registration can only be purchased if the owner has offered it for sale. The DVLA has a legal responsibility not to disclose the personal details of any keepers of motor vehicles to any non-government or commercial organisation including individuals. Therefore there is no simple method available to discover the location and owner of the rights to ANY registration mark that is not on the open market for sale.

Basically we need you to educate us as to your wants so that we can match this with our knowledge of registration marks that have been issued. Registration marks always consist of a combination of letters and numbers. They can have from 2 to 7 digits. The layouts and arrangements of letters and numbers follow specific government series issuing rules. Therefore many combinations have not, nor ever will be issued. We will advise you of the options available to you. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ? We will study your search request and advise you if you need to amend your choices due to the fact that they would never be issued (invalid entries) or not presently for sale. Please remember that we can only contact the owner of any registration mark if we already hold their details on file or if they make contact with us in the future, we have no way of 'tracking them down'. We will inform you of any registration which we hold as 'for sale' on our database which matches your search criteria. We may do this by e-mail and telephone. You will then have the opportunity to secure your purchase by way of payment of a deposit or full payment. NB:The transfer process into your ownership will be begun immediately and you will unfortunately be unable to change your mind.

Therefore it is vital that you think very carefully before committing yourself to the transaction. Back to top HOW MUCH DO THEY COST AND HOW ARE THEY VALUED? As with most things in life, price or value is determined by rarity and desirability. As far as rarity is concerned, every registration mark is rare as there is only ONE example of it. Thus desirability to the buyer is the main factor determining value. One needs to ask oneself what does the number plate do for the person concerned, how well does it do it, and how many other number plates (although different) can do a similar job. Personal number plates vary in value from a couple of hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds based on these facts. It is therefore easier to understand that registration marks which accurately spell a word, name or phrase are highly desirable. How accurately they do this determines their value to the buyer as does the level of availability of similar examples for sale at the time the buyer is buying. Less is nearly always worth more. The fewer letters and numbers a person needs to display on their number plate to do the job in question then the more they will be prepared to pay for it. This is because succinct number plates are extremely distinctive and noticeable.

They are also much rarer than more modern examples due to the simple fact that they were issued many years ago and few examples of such registration marks were transferred to newer cars. Thus when the vehicle came to the end of its life so did its registration number, if it was still on it at the time. Therefore there are relatively few short number plates in circulation AND EVEN FEWER ON THE OPEN MARKET AT ANY GIVEN TIME. In order to be as accurate as possible with our valuations we not only take the above factors into consideration but also keep extensive records of sale prices achieved and the circumstances they were achieved under. A registration sold privately will seldom achieve the same price it would in an exciting auction situation whereby 2 or more buyers are bidding for it in turn to drive the price up. An inaccurate valuation is usually demonstrated quite quickly by the lack of interest shown in it by potential buyers and vice-versa. Back to top CAN I BUY A REGISTRATION MARK FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND KEEP IT UNTIL I'M READY TO GIVE IT AS A GIFT? Yes, you don't even need a vehicle of your own to purchase a registration mark. A mark can be assigned to the name of the person the gift is for and kept on a certificate indefinitely.

The government makes an annual charge to renew certificates which are initially valid for 12 months ( presently ï¿½25 per year). Thus you can buy a registration for your son's 21st, husband's 50th, or as wedding anniversary gift for your wife. Registration marks are truly personal and unforgettable gifts to be kept for a lifetime. We offer a holding and renewal service so that you don't need to remember when its time to renew your certificates. Ideal for those people with already busy lives. Failure to renew your certificate in time can lead to you losing the rights to your private registration number, so you must be careful and remember to renew it. Back to top I'M BUYING A NEW VEHICLE, CAN THE TRANSFER BE DONE BEFORE I COLLECT IT FROM THE DEALERS? Yes, in most cases we can work with your dealer to get the transfer completed and your new number plates on your vehicle, provided we have enough time. In every case it is vitally important that as soon as we have found your dream registration mark you secure your purchase as quickly as possible. We have had disappointed clients who didn't act swiftly enough only to find their choice was sold.

Conversely we have many clients who are sensibly searching and buying their registrations in advance of finding their new vehicle. Our payment systems allow you to lodge a minimum deposit immediately and unfortunately we cannot remove a registration from the open market until this is received. Back to top I'M CHANGING MY VEHICLE PRIVATELY, WHAT SHOULD I DO? We can arrange for your new registration and personal details to be added to your new vehicles' documents at the same time. Contact us now for further advice. info@vrm-group.co.uk Back to top HOW LONG DOES THE TRANSFER TO MY VEHICLE TAKE? Transfers can be completed from within 5 working days to in most cases 3-6 weeks (depending on the type of transfer). Car to car transfers nearly always take longer than certificate to car transfers. However transfers to Northern Irish vehicles from Great Britain can take up to 3 months as the procedure is quite complex. In every case transfer times depend on how quickly people act. We are totally dependant upon:- BUYERS for sending documents and funds promptly SELLERS for sending documents & sale authorities promptly THE AUTHORITIES for processing the applications promptly and accurately THE POST OFFICE for delivering promptly and accurately Our office deals with each transfer immediately.

We automatically update you with progress reports as and when there is news. To concentrate our efforts on the work in hand we greatly appreciate that rather than calling us you: FAX US ON (01792) 474010 OR E-MAIL US info@vrm-group.co.uk remembering to quote your registration number in all correspondence. We greatly appreciate your patience whilst you await completion of your transfer, THANK YOU Back to top CAN I STILL USE MY VEHICLE WHILE THE TRANSFER IS IN PROGRESS? Yes, provided the vehicle is taxed, insured and has a current MOT certificate(if required), you may continue to use it on the public highways. Back to top WHEN CAN I FIX MY NEW NUMBER PLATES TO MY VEHICLE? When you receive your replacement tax (license) disc from us, showing your new registration mark and display this on your vehicle. DO I NEED TO INFORM MY INSURERS THAT I HAVE A new registration MARK? Yes, remember to tell them in writing that 'in the event of a total loss claim...' whereby they effectively buy your vehicle (or what's left of it) off you due to theft, or as a 'right off', '...the registration mark will remain your property'.

Get them to acknowledge this request in writing. They do not normally make a charge for issuing a new cover note in these circumstances or for complying with this request. WHAT IF I WANT TO ALTER THE SPACING OR LETTER STYLE ON MY NUMBER PLATES? Please remember that :- 'it is illegal to mis-space or mis-represent your registration mark whilst it is being displayed on a vehicle used on the public highway'. Since September 2001 any firm that makes number plates is required by law to include their postcode on the plates so that they may be traced back to the maker. It is not illegal to make the number plates in any style or fashion the customer wishes (including fancy typefaces). The law is broken when such plates are displayed on a vehicle on the public roads. This explains how vehicles in dealer's showrooms or at motor shows are legally allowed to display any message or style on their number plates. You will notice that there is a distinct space between the number 11 and the word YOU in the example to comply with the law on display of registrations. Also you are only allowed to use a standard typeface (lettering) so that your vehicle may be easily identified.

If you break this law you may lose your right to use the registration as the Department of Transport has the legal right to confiscation. You will not receive any financial compensation. Your vehicle will also fail its MOT if the registration is miss-spaced and you may be fined up to £1000. In practise, the authorities have very little time and resources available to pursue offenders of this part of the law. However, you will bring unwanted attention to yourself and give the authorities a genuine reason to stop you on the highway if they so wish. Back to top IS IT LEGAL TO HAVE A NATIONAL EMBLEM ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF MY NEW NUMBER PLATES? The government now allows you to have the following emblems and wording positioned to the left hand side of your number plates:- WELSH FLAG with 'CYM' SCOTTISH FLAG with 'SCO' UNION JACK with 'GB' ST GEORGE CROSS with 'ENG' EUROSTARS SYMBOL with 'GB'- with this symbol no other GB sticker is needed on your vehicle when you travel to continental Europe Back to top I HAVE HEARD THAT IRISH NUMBER PLATES ARE CHEAP AND 'DATELESS'. IS THIS TRUE AND WHAT SELECTION IS AVAILABLE TO ME?

Number plates from Northern Ireland can be transferred to cars registered Great Britain as both are part of the United Kingdom and have similar licensing procedures. Because Northern Irish number plates have nothing to indicate their age (ie.'dateless') they are often used to hide the age of a vehicle and can be transferred to any age of Great British vehicle. They can be quite inexpensive with prices including transfer fees and VAT starting at around ï¿½175, although it is not likely that such plates are desirable for any reason other than to hide the vehicle's age (ie. the letters are not attractive to most buyers). Indeed, some Irish number plates can be as desirable as any others and command high prices! To find out the typical letter combinations available and more information click here . Northern Irish registrations nearly always contain I or Z (see Q3 part 7 above) HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY REGISTRATION MARK? We accept most major credit and debit cards, cheques, postal orders and bankers drafts. Please remember that once you have found your dream registration mark we cannot hold it especially for you. Until you have agreed to purchase it and have made a payment it must remain on the open market and can be sold to anyone who enquires.

Question: The first letter of a modern car registration number indicates the area in which the car is registered. Most cars beginning with 'P' are registered in Preston. But if a car has 'R' as its first letter, where would it have been registered?
Answer: READING